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Oral presentation

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), a nonprofit organization located in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, USA, is well known throughout the world as an educational resource for the prevention of medication errors. The presentation will provide a background on the Institute and the United States Pharmacopeia-ISMP Medication Errors Reporting Program (MERP). The MERP is a national voluntary medica-tion errors program to which healthcare professionals across the US and inter-nationally voluntarily and confidentially report medication errors and hazardous conditions that could lead to errors.

ISMP's approach to reviewing medication errors using its ten key elements of the medication system will be reviewed. Actual examples of errors received through the MERP and graphics of medication labeling and packaging problems will be presented. Preliminary results from a national medication safety self-assessment for acute care hospitals will be discussed as well as introducing a medication safety self-assessment for community and ambulatory practice. The importance of learning from actual medication errors, near misses, and hazardous conditions is the central theme of this presentation.

· Overview of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices

· The Medication Errors Reporting Program (MERP)

· Ten Key Elements of the Medication Use System

· Errors and hazardous conditions reported to the MERP

· Medication Safety Self Assessment

· Reporting for Learning

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